WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026
homes GROTH QUITS AS MP: for70 new Dandenong $2 MIL. BY-ELECTION
● Sam Groth, Nepean MLA
■ A by-election for the seat of Nepean in the Victorian Legislative Assembly is to be held, following the resignation of Liberal Party MLA Sam Groth. The by-election date had not been announced by the Victorian Electoral Commission when this issue of The Local Paper went to press. Mr Groth resigned from representing the electorate nine months out from the 2026 Victorian State Election. Mr Groth had one month earlier stepped down as Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberals, saying: “The public pressure placed on my family in recent months has been significant and realising that some of it came from within my own party has been difficult to ignore … when you find yourself having to fight against your own team, it becomes impossible to put those interests first.” The early by-election is estimated to cost taxpayers approximately $2 million, according to the ABC. Mr Groth had achieved a 7.1 per cent swing against Labor, standing against Chris Brayne, who had held the seat for the ALP from 2018-2022.
FIRE IN PENINSULA RECYCLING TRUCK
■ A recycling truck caught fire in Mount Martha on Thursday morning (Feb. 5) after hazardous materials were incorrectly placed in a household bin. The incident occurred shortly before 8am when the driver noticed smoke coming from the truck and immediately contacted emergency services. Following their advice, the driver took the burning load to Ferrero Reserve where fire crews were waiting. Firefighters extinguished the blaze before the truck's contents were emptied in the car park. The materials were sorted on-site, with contaminated items taken to landfill. The area has since been fully cleaned up. “While not yet confirmed, we suspect that a battery sparked this fire,” said a Mornington Peninsula Shire representative. “Hazardous waste, such as batteries and e-waste, should never be disposed of in household bins because they pose a serious fire risk to residents, waste collection staff, and the environment. When damaged or compressed in collection trucks, batteries can ignite, causing dangerous fires.”
● Truck fire at Mt Martha on Thurs.
● Gabrielle Williams MLA
■ Housing and Building Minister Harriet Shing this week turned the first sod at the site of a new housing development in Dandenong. It is a $39 million project which will deliver 70 new energy efficient and environmentally sustainable social housing homes. The development is a partnership between Launch Housing and Homes Victoria, and will have 40 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom apartments. A State Government representative says it will deliver much-needed housing options for people on the Victorian Housing Register, with a focus on people on very low incomes. “The new homes are modern and energy efficient, meaning renters will be warm in winter and cool in summer, while saving on their power bills. At least seven of the homes will be allocated to First Nations residents. “They will be within walking distance to the Dandenong Markets, Dandenong Railway Station and bus stops, and are nearby shops, schools, parks and other essential services. “The 70 new homes build on the 89 social housing homes already underway in Dandenong and delivered in partnership with Launch Housing, with construction activities beginning late last year. “In the City of Greater Dandenong alone, we’ve invested more than $170 million through our social housing programs to build 359 new social and affordable homes, with 99 of these already completed. Dandenong MLA Gabrielle Williams said: “With more than $170 million invested locally, we’re seeing real outcomes on the ground in Dandenong – more homes built, more people housed and more families getting the stability they need to thrive.”